Green Community Project: Spring Break

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Spring Break

I haven't posted much here in the past month. One reason is that my friends and I (who make up the Household group of the Green Community Project) have been starting to research the next series of blog entries. We're interested in greening our yards, (literally!) by using sustainable practices--so stay tuned!

Another reason for my absence is my family's Spring break trip. Our kids are getting older and they live all over the country. Getting together is difficult and I miss them so much! Luckily we were able to fly to sunny Arizona, on mom & dad's nickel of course, and we had a wonderful time in a locale that was new to all of us.

Still, in the back of my mind, was a mention of carbon offsets that my friend, Nicole, made when talking about her family's trip this fall. I had never heard of that phrase and asked her about it. Carbon offsets are little shares of energy saving investments that folks can purchase to offset energy you are using. That concept didn't mean much to me until I participated in the League's Carbon Survey that I mentioned earlier in this blog. I was shocked to see that my seemingly limited travel habits were the major contributor to my carbon footprint. As a result, I am now researching the different carbon offset companies and plan to purchase offsets for our recent trip. My Googling turned up this interesting interview in Treehugger with the founder of Climate Care (an offset provider). Purchasing offsets seems to be like donating to charities--you need to do your research and find one that fits your beliefs.

Edit: since I posted this, I received an email from Laurel who has done a TON of research on this topic. She offers a link to a chart with many examples of companies that will allow a consumer to purchase offsets and a comparison between companies. Signing up with any of these programs might effectively reduce your CO2 contributions to ZERO! Additionally, she offered links that nicely explain carbon offsets, carbon credits, and personal carbon trading. Thanks Laurel!

EcoTips from the League

Eco-Tip #1 – Change a Light
By replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb you will reduce your home's carbon footprint by 150 pounds per year. It's that easy. You can make a difference!

Eco-Tip #2 – Plastic Bottles
Of the 25 billion single-serving plastic water bottles Americans use each year, more than 80% end up in landfills. Most bottles are made from plastic derived from crude oil and then transported on diesel-burning trucks. If you must use a single serving bottle, please recycle it. Better yet, choose to re-use a refillable water bottle made of a refill-safe material.

Eco-Tip #3--BYOB Bring Your Own Bag

An estimated 1,460 plastic bags are used by the average American family each year. 12 million barrels of oil are used to make the plastic bags that the U.S. consumes annually. It takes up to 1000 years for each plastic bag to decompose. Presently, less than 1% of all plastic bags are recycled in the U.S. Plastic bags clog our landfills, litter our land and kill hundreds of thousands of marine animals who mistake them for food.

Break the trend! Take reusable shopping bags with you wherever you go. STOP using plastic or paper supermarket bags. Visit reusablebags.com to learn more and to find a variety of reusable bag alternatives.

Eco-Tip #4--Adjust Your Thermostat

Setting your home thermostat down just 2 degrees in the winter and up 2 degrees in the summer can save over 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

By washing your clothes in cold or warm water rather than hot you will save more than 500 pounds per year.

Re-set your thermostats today!

Eco-Tip #5--Insulate Your Water Heater

In most homes, heating water stands among the top energy expenses, 13% of the average utility bill. Because water is constantly being heated regardless of whether a hot water tap is running, a good portion of that energy is wasted as heat is lost to the surrounding air. Many water heaters are turned up to a higher temperature than is necessary. Try turning down the temperature of your hot water by a few degrees. Then, by insulating the water heater and accessible hot water pipes you will reduce your energy losses between 4 and 9 percent and keep more than 300 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each year. Most hardware stores carry water heater insulation kits for about $20, a price that repays itself in energy savings in just a few months.

Eco-Tip #6--Buy Local

Buy paper products made by locally-based company Marcal, which accepts materials from Morris County municipal programs and businesses. Its products are made primarily or entirely from 100% recycled fiber content.

Eco-Tip #7--Choices

Every day we make a hundred or more choices, some small and seemingly insignificant, and some large and unquestionably substantial. Small or large, our collective choices and the actions that stem from them have an impact--good, bad or indifferent--on the world around us. We all share the responsibility for the health and sustainability of our natural world. Consider your choices.

Eco-Tip #8--Keep it Simple

Simple doesn't mean unimportant! Even the simplest actions can make a difference when multiplied by many. If just two percent of the U.S. populations turned on the kitchen and bathroom faucets to a fraction of full blast when washing their hands, nearly 12 million gallons of water could be saved every day. Don't underestimate the impact of small changes made by many people.

Eco-Tip #9--Take it Slow

When it comes to making "green" changes in your daily activities, take it slow. Positive changes are more likely to take hold and endure if you pursue them one at a time. Give yourself sufficient time to adjust to and develop a new routine. This will lead to greater success on your path to a greener lifestyle.

Eco-Tip #10--Schedule an Energy Audit

Schedule an energy audit to learn more about energy consumption in your home and what steps you can take to cut energy costs. Many utility companies and service providers perform energy audits at no or low cost to you.

Eco-Tip #11--What's the Big Deal?

Last year, 11,973 "biters" kept their car tires properly inflated, saving enough gasoline to drive a hybrid car around the entire Earth. Keeping your car tires inflated is one small bite for an individual to take; but it's a big deal when you add up all the little bites. So, what is a biter? It's a person who is taking bite-sized steps to conserve and preserve the planet. Give it a try! Sign up for daily e-mail tips from idealbite.com--it's one step you can take to find inspiration for how to live green.

Eco-Tip#12--Eat Locally

Get involved in the environment in your own
neighborhood. You’ll become more personally invested
in the earth’s health and will therefore be a better
resident of your community and the planet. This Earth
Day, do a little research. Visit a nearby farm to meet
the people that make your food—to find farms and
farmer's markets, check localharvest.org or
ams.usda.gov.

Eco-Tip #13--Conserving Water - Drip by Drip
Global freshwater resources are being threatened by rising demands and climate change. Less than 2% of the water each of us uses everyday is water that we drink. Here are some easy ways to cut down on water waste in the home and save $$$ too:
* Turn the water off while brushing your teeth.
* Run your washing machine and dishwasher for full loads only.
* Install low-flow showerheads and cut your showers down to five minutes.
* Keep up with leaky toilets and faucets.
* Capture bathwater and "warm-up" water to water plants.
Doing small things consistently over time - can make a difference.

Eco-Tip #14--Pulling the Plug
Think your electronics and appliances are turned off? Probably not. Hair dryers, coffee makers, toasters, phone chargers, TVs and many other devices use energy for all the time! These hidden energy drains account for 5 percent of total domestic energy consumption and send 18 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. Unplug them all when not in use - or make it easier on yourself by connecting them to a surge protector and flipping the switch. It's that easy. You CAN make a difference!

Eco-Tip #15--Improve the Fabric--Buy Organic

When shopping for new clothing for yourself or others, remember that the benefits of organically produced cotton clothes are substantial. Conventionally grown cotton is drenched in pesticides and other chemicals. An average acre of cotton receives 13 pounds of pesticides and herbicides, plus hundreds of pounds of synthetic fertilizer. Organic cotton production avoids the runoff that this kind of agriculture produces. Do your part: Google - "Organic Cotton Clothing" to find suppliers near you.

Eco-Tip#16--Oil Down the Drain
Many dishwashing detergents contain petroleum products, a very unnecessary use of oil. Vegetable-based dish soap is a greener alternative widely available at many supermarkets. Read the labels and do your part!
If every American household replaced just one 28-ounce bottle of petroleum-based dishwashing liquid with a vegetable-based product, the savings would amount to 82,000 barrels of oil.

It's that easy. You CAN make a difference.

Green Community Project

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Spring Break

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